http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. New data from two clinical trials presented today at the International Liver Congress 2013 demonstrate substantial improvements in the detection of both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC) using diagnostic urine tests. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-screening-liver-cancer.html Cancer Fri, 26 Apr 2013 03:03:08 EST news286164174 Liver fibrosis results from an excessive accumulation of tough, fibrous scar tissue and occurs in most types of chronic liver diseases. In industrialized countries, the main causes of liver injury leading to fibrosis include chronic hepatitis virus infection, excess alcohol consumption and, increasingly, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-sunshine-hormone-vitamin-d-liver.html Medical research Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:55:15 EST news286120272 Infectious disease experts at Johns Hopkins have found that among people infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), co-infection with HIV, speeds damage and scarring of liver tissue by almost a decade. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-advance-knowledge-hiv-impact-hepatitis.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:50:47 EST news281620240 (HealthDay)—Individuals who are coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) exhibit liver fibrosis similar to that of individuals without HIV who are nearly 10 years older, according to research published online Feb. 26 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-hiv-hcv-coinfection-hcv-related-liver-fibrosis.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:50:01 EST news281200438 (Medical Xpress)—Research at Oregon State University has found that one particular omega-3 fatty acid has a powerful effect in preventing liver inflammation and fibrosis – common problems that are steadily rising along with the number of Americans who are overweight. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-omega-oils-liver-disease.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 05 Feb 2013 12:47:46 EST news279290860 Researchers at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) have led a study published in PLoS One showing that the inhibition of a family member of NADPH oxidase enzyme, NOX4, plays an important role in liver fibrosis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-inhibition-enzyme-nox4-liver-fibrosis.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 05 Nov 2012 11:16:36 EST news271336587 A new 'traffic light' test devised by Dr Nick Sheron and colleagues at University of Southampton and Southampton General Hospital could be used in primary care to diagnose liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in high risk populations more easily than at present. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-traffic-earlier-diagnosis-liver-disease.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:05:54 EST news265457144 A study published in the online journal Hepatology reports a potential new NADPH oxidase (NOX) inhibitor therapy for liver fibrosis, a scarring process associated with chronic liver disease that can lead to loss of liver function. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-drug-successfully-halts-fibrosis-animal.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:32:55 EST news263565170 An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, report that significant numbers of myofibroblasts – cells that produce the fibrous scarring in chronic liver injury – revert to an inactive phenotype as the liver heals. The discovery in mouse models could ultimately help lead to new human therapies for reversing fibrosis in the liver, and in other organs like the lungs and kidneys. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-scarring-cells-revert-inactive-state.html Medical research Mon, 07 May 2012 16:07:21 EST news255625632 Italian researchers report that severe fibrosis increases the early atherosclerosis risk in patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. A second study found that fatty liver disease also increases risk of developing atherosclerosis at an earlier period. Both studies appear in the May issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-fibrosis-fatty-liver-disease-early.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:52:31 EST news254483544 Broader screening to identify people infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) would likely be cost effective, according to a new report published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and available online. Significantly reducing HCV-related mortality and morbidity, however, will require a coordinated effort that emphasizes not only increased testing but also linking those infected with the treatment they need. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-broader-screening-hepatitis-effective.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:41:08 EST news250951261 New research confirms that a variant on the patatin-like phospholipase-3 (PNPLA3) gene increases risk of steatosis and fibrosis progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). The PNPLA3 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs 738409 may represent an important genetic predictor and potential therapeutic target in chronic HCV liver damage. Study details are published in the July issue of Hepatology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-gene-variant-fatty-liver-fibrosis.html Genetics Tue, 28 Jun 2011 10:45:37 EST news228476717 Non-invasive tests for liver fibrosis, such as liver stiffness measurement or the FibroTest, can predict survival of patients with chronic hepatitis C, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-noninvasive-liver-hepatitis-patient-survival.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 14 Jun 2011 10:47:58 EST news227267261 Patients who are evaluated for liver diseases such as hepatitis C (HCV) are typically recommended for liver biopsy to determine the extent of disease progression. For patients who question whether less invasive testing is available, clinicians now have alternatives options to consider. Elastography and serum markers are two such diagnostic options reviewed in an editorial published in the June issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-noninvasive-diagnostics-alternative-liver-biopsy.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:22:36 EST news226239699